1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automated chemical, pharmaceutical or biotech compound testing systems using miniature shelf keeping units or test tubes. The shelf keeping units or test tubes are preferably stored in a standing refrigeration unit and are retrieved by a robot.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In prior art systems, shelf keeping unit parts are separately molded to provide, for example, an array of 384 miniature shelf keeping units or test tubes; the tubes are inserted in a matrix of 384 square sockets, thus requiring a very costly assembly.
Industry standards promulgated (in draft form) by the Society for Biomolecular Screening (“SBS”) specify standard dimensions and characteristics for microtiter plates (or microplates). The SBS homepage is attached hereto as appendix A; the SBS Microplate Standards Development Committee'web page printout is attached hereto as appendix B. The SBS Microplate Standards Development Committee draft standard SBS-1 (Footprint Dimensions) is attached hereto as appendix C, and the SBS Microplate Standards Development Committee draft standard SBS-4 (Well Positions) is attached hereto as appendix D. Taken together, these serve to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to understand the specifications of the prior art shelf keeping units.
In use, a robotic retrieval system responds to requests wherein individual tubes are taken from a plate and moved in a process called reformatting; the tubes are moved to another plate, e.g., having a different makeup of compound. In executing a reformatting request for a random assortment of tubes in many plates throughout the system, one tube can be taken from each plate and put it in another set-up of plates, ordering the tubes in accordance with the request.
The shelf keeping units or tubes are accessed by pipettes having tips dimensioned to fit into the tubes, for withdrawing fluid from the tubes or dispensing fluid into the tubes. Scientific Equipment vendors such as Globe Scientific, Inc. or CCS Packard supply pipette tips adapted for use with robotic or automated laboratory equipment. An excerpt of the “online catalog” taken from the Globe Scientific, Inc. web site describes tips designed to fit pipettors used in automated testing and is attached hereto as appendix E. Additionally, an excerpt of the “Chemicals and Supplies” information taken from the CCS Packard web site describes “Robotic Certified” pipette tips designed for use with 96 or 384 channel pipettors used in automated testing and is attached hereto as appendix F. Taken together, these serve to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to understand the characteristics of pipettes used in conjunction with industry standard shelf keeping units.
The shelf keeping units or tubes of the prior art must be sealed for storage and automated handling and reliably sealing each shelf keeping unit is expensive and difficult, since each shelf keeping unit is small.
There is a need, therefore, for an economical and effective automated pharmaceutical or biotech compound testing system using a very small shelf keeping unit.